LYNCHBURG, Va. – UPDATE 5:40 p.m.:
Lynchburg officials said that the lockdown was lifted around 4:00 p.m. during a presser held on Monday evening.
You can watch the Q&A portion of the press conference here.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A high school is on lockdown due to a suspicious phone call, and students may dismiss late as a result.
On Monday at 12:59 p.m., the Lynchburg Police Department said they received a phone call on the non-emergency line about a possible ‘machine gun’ at E.C. Glass High School.
The school was immediately placed on lockdown and officers responded, LPD said.
LPD said nothing has been found, but they are working with school officials to conduct a search while students are on lockdown to ensure the safety of all students and staff.
As the search was conducted, authorities began to dismiss some students while they checked and cleared the rest of the building, school officials said.
Once those initial concerns were resolved, students were sent back inside, according to the release.
Students will remain under lockdown until they are given the all-clear and may not dismiss until after 4:00 p.m., officials said.
Authorities are not allowing anyone on school grounds, according to the release, and school leaders are urging parents not to go to ECG until they are notified to do so.
Parents will be notified once the lockdown is lifted, and they said they will still provide bus transportation for students that need it.
The LPD said that other schools in Virginia have received similar calls today, and many others across the nation have reported similar incidents in recent weeks.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Lynchburg Police Department at (434) 455-6041 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 798-5900. You can also enter an anonymous tip online at http://p3tips.com or use the P3 app on a mobile device.